We were lucky to catch up with Jacqueline Tabbah recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jacqueline, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you ever had an amazing boss, mentor or leader leading you? Can you us a story or anecdote that helps illustrate why this person was such a great leader and the impact they had on you or their team?

I am fortunate that I get to work for my father, Rawi Tabbah, in our family business, International Stoneworks. We are a stone care and maintenance company in Houston. After finishing college, I really had no intention of joining the family business as I wanted to pursue a career in public relations. I quickly realized that industry was not for me and started working ‘temporarily’ at International Stoneworks. I quickly fell in love with the stone restoration industry; natural stone is such a gorgeous and timeless material and I became passionate about maintaining that beauty. After a year, my father asked if I intended to stay on with the business and I emphatically answered yes! At that point he said, “Great! Now let’s get started on really training you.” He never once put pressure on me to join his business and wanted me to grow to love it on my own. If you are passionate about your work, there is more chance of success. I learned this lesson from my father through his patience with me and his guidance in the stone industry.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My work is very niche! There are not many people who refinish natural stone surfaces and on top of that, there is an even smaller pool of women who work in the natural stone industry. We work on-site in homes and buildings to clean, hone, polish and seal all natural stones. Everything from marble kitchen countertops to large granite lobby floors. It is a privilege to sustain natural stone. Just because it is looking drab, does not mean that the stone surface needs to be replaced – it can be restored to look gorgeous again! As an estimator, I come to evaluate the stone surface and deduce what restoration techniques we use to beautify the stone.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

As I mentioned earlier, my schooling and previous work experience before joining International Stoneworks was in public relations. I developed an outgoing personality and was always talking…lots of talking! For the most part, this behavior has served me well, but in transitioning into a customer service career I have had to also learn to listen. Do not assume you know what the customer needs; let the customer explain what is concerning him or her before jumping in. This lesson has saved me on more than one occasion.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I joined the stone industry in 2009 and felt like I was on a roll, but in 2018 I was thrown a curve ball and everything changed. My son, Jack, was born that year and suddenly my priorities had to shift! After hearing working mothers over the years vocalize the challenge they face with work-life balance, I finally understood their plight. There is not one answer on how to successfully juggle your work and family and I am a work in progress. Fortunately, I have the support of an amazing husband and family. I now have two wonderful sons that are my world, yet at the same time I can fulfill my own professional goals. My family makes me a more well-rounded person and that spills over into my work. I am able to compartmentalize and try not to sweat the small stuff.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.intlstoneworks.com
• Instagram: @intl_stoneworks
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/International-Stoneworks-Inc/371675049599
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/international-stoneworks-inc-b2b6251b
• Twitter: @intlstoneworks
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mxaHzE9nSU